The 2016 Family History Days will be held on March 18 & 19 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Day 1 - Friday, March 18, 2016

9:30-10:30

• Using All the Features of FamilySearch - David Rencher
  • Learn the breadth and depth of the programs and features of the FamilySearch organization and website. The genealogical landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade – learn what FamilySearch has done to adapt.

• Scottish Emigration - Bruce Durie
  • Throw an egg from a bus almost anywhere in America and the chances are you’ll hit someone claims “Scots-Irish” or “Scottish Highlands” ancestry, often without understanding the terms fully, and shot through with myth as to the reasons for emigrating (persecution, clearances, etc.). The reality is that most emigration was voluntary, for purely economic gain, and from the Lowlands. The Scots were the economic migrants par excellence of their day. They came to America in various waves, for various reasons, and ended up in various places. This lecture will seek to strip away some of the legends and folklore, and look at the documentary evidence. Rotten tomatoes may be thrown!

• Genealogical Resources in the Pennsylvania State Archives -  Aaron McWilliams
  • This lecture provides an introduction to the types of records available to genealogist at the Pennsylvania State Archives. The presentation will cover the primary types of records, what information they contain, and their accessibility.

11:00-12:00

• Coming Forward, Descendent Research - David Rencher
  • You can’t just put the engine in “reverse” and trace descendants. Methodologies, records and sources are described as well as how to organize the massive amount of records that will be gathered during a comprehensive descendant research project.

• Identifying and Dating Family Photographs - Maureen Taylor
  • Discover 10 easy steps for naming those old photographs tucked away in shoeboxes.

• Genealogical Resources at the Philadelphia City Archives - Jill Rawnsley
  • So what can be found at the City Archives beyond the basic vital information of birth, death, marriages and naturalizations? The talk will provide an introduction to the various city records that provide genealogical information, such as the Guardians of the Poor, Philadelphia General Hospital, Prisons, etc.

1:30-2:30

• Introducing Grandparents to Grandchildren  - Jim Ison
  • Many of us are so focused on tracing our ancestry back in time that we overlook the ancestors our posterity will find most interesting—that of ourselves, our parents, and grandparents. As oral history is lost in only three generations, our grandchildren are likely to have almost no information about the lives of our own grandparents. Perhaps one of the greatest treasures we can leave our posterity is a rich description of the lives of our parents and grandparents.

• Headlines to Bylines: Using ALL the Newspaper in Your Genealogy - Jim Beidler
  • Everyone turns to newspapers to find obituaries of their ancestors but every section and column of historic newspapers can be valuable in your genealogical search. Learn how news briefs, advertisements, even editorials and “letters to the editor” might add to your store of knowledge about your ancestors and their lives in context.

• Military Records in the Pennsylvania State Archives - Aaron McWilliams
  • Provides an overview of the military records available to researchers at the Pennsylvania State Archives. The presentation will cover the primary records and indexes available to researchers interested in the military service of Pennsylvanians from the French and Indian War to Vietnam.

3:00-4:00

• Using Find My Past - Jen Baldwin
  • If your family has origins in the British Isles, Findmypast is a resource you should be utilizing! Learn about our incredible British and Irish collections, the advantages of using global newspapers, and get a glimpse of what is ahead for Findmypast.

• Using Y-DNA and mtDNA to Explore Your Ancestry - Blaine Bettinger
  • Y-DNA and mtDNA testing are the workhorses of genetic genealogy, and have helped genealogists break through thousands of stubborn brick walls.  Learn about the unique inheritance of Y-DNA and mtDNA in your family, how these tests can be used to explore your ancient ancestry, and how the results can identify your relatives both close and distant.

• Resources for Family History in Greater Philadelphia - Sandra Hewlett
  • There are a wealth of libraries, archives, and historical societies in the Greater Philadelphia area that can assist you with your family history search. Coupled with the growing collections of online databases for the mid-Atlantic states, and covering 17th to 20th century records, this lecture will outline the resources available that might lead you to your family story.

Day 2 - Saturday, March 19, 2016

9:30-10:30

• Using Autosomal DNA to Explore Your Ancestry -Blaine Bettinger
  • For years, genealogists have focused on Y-DNA and mtDNA, unable to access the wealth of information in the remainder of their DNA.  At long last, new autosomal DNA tests reveal this hidden information.  Genealogists can use autosomal DNA for ethnicity estimates, finding long-lost cousins, and examining specific genealogical problems.
• Discovering Genealogical Clues in 19th Century Photographs - Maureen Taylor

  • A single photograph can unlock a family mystery. The details are in the photographic clues. Pictures document births, deaths, marriages, and more. Use an image as genealogical proof by understanding the language of family photographs.

• Contrasting German Migrations: 18th Century vs. 19th Century Waves - Jim Beidler
  • The 1700s “Pennsylvania Germans” were a different breed than the “German Americans” who immigrated in the 1800s. This presentation shows the differences in geography, economic class, religion, and aspirations of – as well as sources about – the two great waves of German immigration as well as reviewing “the basics” of German genealogy.

11:00-12:00

• All the other Ologies - Jen Baldwin
  • What do meteorology, geology, psychology and sociology have to do with genealogy? Everything. Incorporate a variety of sciences and their resources into your family history to find clues, develop new theories, and create better sense of your families’ place in the world.

•  From Ulster to Pennsylvania - David Rencher
  • This session discusses the migration of the Ulster Scots from Northern Ireland to the Americas, particularly their migration into Pennsylvania and the social history, migration and background that surround their exodus from the Old to the New World.

• HSP Discoveries and Encounters
  • Overview of how to best use the Genealogical databases from HSP collection

1:30-2:30

• Fugitive Slave Act and the Underground Railroad - Jim Ison
  • Learn how the courage of numerous citizens, organized groups, and runaways, known as the Underground Railroad, thwarted fugitive slave laws despite the Constitution, the United States Supreme Court, and an entire slavery culture.

• Scottish Records - Bruce Durie
  • It is simply not possible to do serious Scottish family history from Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, MYHeritage, FindMyPast and the other commercial sites. It’s not their fault – they just don’t have the records. Yet Scotland has the longest-reaching, best-maintained and most accessible records on the planet. This lecture will show how and where to get the real stuff!

• Pennsylvania Genealogical Resources - Val Lutz
  • This session provides an introduction to some of the most useful online resources for Pennsylvania research and how to use them more effectively in your research, as well as an overview of resources and collections available at other repositories.

3:00-4:00

• Out of the Ashes - Irish Genealogical Collections - David Rencher
  • This lecture will focus on describing the material in various Irish genealogical "collections" which have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.  These collections represent a wealth of genealogical material, much of which was gathered prior to the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922.

• PERSI as a Resource - Jen Baldwin
  • The PERiodical Source Index is an excellent tool for replacing lost records! Find your way through research gaps such as the 1890 Census using material provided by local organizations and authors.

• Mining the “Űber-sites” for German Ancestors - Jim Beidler
  • While there’s a galaxy of Internet sites that can help you with your German genealogy, some stars shine brighter than others – and it’s not just Ancestry and FamilySearch, although those two 500-pound canaries both have huge assets for those seeking Deutsch ancestors.

*Speakers, presentation topics, and locations are subject to change.